Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1459281
7 B M & T ••• March/April 2022 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com and restaurants and retail to its mixed-use development along the Southwest Waterfront. The city has 29 new hotels and 5,700 additional guest rooms in the pipeline including new brands in neighborhoods throughout the city. Openings include the Holiday Inn Express, less than one mile from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and Capital One Arena. The hotel's top-floor meeting space offers views of the U.S. Capitol Building. Washington DC NoMa District Curio by Hilton features outdoor and rooftop event spaces in the vibrant, fast-growing NoMa neighborhood east of Union Station, the hub for Amtrak's East Coast rail service. A new citizenM opens in NoMa this April. AC Hotel Capitol Riverfront joins DC's vibrant waterfront area along the Anacostia River this summer. Arts and cultural milestones in 2022 include the opening of Picasso: Painting the Blue Period at the Phillips Collection, the Harriet Tubman Bicentennial celebration, the 175th anniversary of the Smithsonian Institution and the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Center. Signature events planned in person include the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Passport DC and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall. The National Park Service will complete a $25-million renovation of the Lincoln Memorial in time for the memorial's centennial celebration this year. INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MUNICIPAL CLERKS ANNUAL CONFERENCE RETURNING TO RENO TAHOE IN 2026 Visit Reno Tahoe announced recently that the 80th International Institute of Municipal Clerks Annual Conference will be held in Northern Nevada, May 17-20, 2026. "It is a tremendous honor to welcome the International Institute of Municipal Clerks back to Reno Tahoe," said Visit Reno Tahoe President and CEO Charles Harris. "It's inspiring for our community to see the return of long- term, future bookings, and for the travel industry to play a part in the reintroduction of government-related, associ- ation meetings and events." More than 1,000 attendees and family members, from across the country and beyond, will converge on Reno Tahoe for the premier annual educational conference for municipal professionals. The IIMC Annual Conference is comprised of diversified programming, focused on a wide range of topics that include leadership, communica- tion, digital adaptability, organizational development, collaboration, diversity and inclusion, records management, budget/finance, and more. "The IIMC Board of Directors selected Reno for its 2026 80th anniversary conference for the conducive cost of doing business and for its great access to attractions and activities that enhance the conference experience for our attendees and their guests. As a nonprofit, IIMC relies on successful conferences as its only other form of generating revenue outside of membership dues. It's imperative that we select cities that provide us with the best chance of success. And, Reno ensures us of that success," said IIMC Executive Director Chris Shalby Attracting association events to any destination requires community support, time and planning. Bringing this group of public servants to Northern Nevada was made possible by the combined efforts of local tourism professionals and public officials, such as City of Sparks City Clerk Lisa Hunderman and City of Reno City Clerk Mikki Huntsman, who represent their communities as active members of IIMC Region VIII. The IIMC Annual Conference was last held in Reno Tahoe in 2010. The event is expected to generate an estimated economic impact of nearly $4.1 million. ABOUT RENO TAHOE Reno Tahoe is a dynamic, four-season resort destination in a spectacular natural setting – where America's largest alpine lake meets "The Biggest Little City in the World." Here, genuine Western heritage and hospitality are served up alongside a region in the midst of an exciting transformation, offering travelers world-class attractions, outdoor adventure and an annual calendar of cultural, culinary and sporting events. Reno Tahoe is marketed by the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA), an organization established in 1959 to promote convention and tourism business in Washoe County, which includes Reno, Sparks and North Lake Tahoe. For more information, go to www.VisitRenoTahoe.com. Charles Harris